Maple Recipes from Sugarstone Farm By Andy and Shelley Straughan, Sugarstone Farm, Near North Chapter
Pickled Maple Spruce Tips
Pairs nicely with anything grilled, salads or drop a couple in a Gin & Tonic, or a Caesar! Ingredients: • • • • • • • •
1 cup cider vinegar 3 heaping TBSP Sugarstone Farm Maple Syrup ½ tsp. salt ¼ tsp. ground black pepper 2 dried chilies ¼ cup of water 2 tightly packed cups spruce tips 1 500 ml jar
Instructions:
1. Place the first 6 ingredients (everything BUT the spruce tips) in a saucepan and bring to a boil.
Maple Taffy or “Sugar on Snow”
From “Sweet Ontario—Our Favourite Recipes”, Ontario Maple Syrup Producer’s Association. Contact a local producer/OMSPA member for availability of this great recipe book. You can search here www.ontariomaple.com Ingredients:
• 2 cups Ontario maple syrup (Golden or Amber grade) Directions:
1. In a heavy bottomed 4L pot, boil 2 cups maple syrup on low to medium heat to 23F (10-12C) above boiling point: about 232 to 235F (110-112C), the higher temp on a sunny day.
2. While the brine is heating, clean the spruce tips in a large bowl by rinsing in cold water.
2. Stir the surface occasionally to keep from boiling over. Immediately pour on a mound of freshly fallen snow packed in bowls or trays and serve, using popsicle sticks or wooden spoons.
4. Once the brine reaches a boil, carefully pour into mason jar.
Serves 10-14.
3. Pack the spruce tips in a mason jar.
5. Leave jar to cool on counter stirring 3 or 4 times in the first few minutes to ensure all spruce tips are submerged in the hot brine. 6. Once cool cover with a lid and keep in fridge.
Picking some spruce tips
Pickled maple spruce tips
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The Ontario Woodlander—An Ontario Woodlot Association Quarterly. Issue 102, March 2021